Post office

By Kelly Yates
A NARRE Warren North business owner says placing a post office in Parkhill Plaza, Berwick would “kill” his business.
Marco Ciavarella is against the idea of putting another Australia Post outlet in Berwick after residents and traders joined Liberal candidate for Narre Warren North Michelle Frazer in the push for one.
Australia Post is presently reviewing the possibility of having a post office in the shopping complex after a petition with 1577 signatures calling for one was presented to them by Ms Frazer in August.
Mr Ciavarella believed the local area was “saturated” with Australia Post outlets. There are five post offices within a 5km radius of Parkhill Plaza.
Despite Ms Frazer saying there was a need for a post office in the popular shopping complex, Mr Ciavarella said Parkhill Plaza “definitely didn’t need one.”
Mr Ciavarella said customers who didn’t want to be in long queues at the busy post offices should go to the smaller outlets like Narre Warren North or Harkaway.
“We get customers in and out quickly, seven days a week. And we have plenty of car parking available,” he said.
Mr Ciavarella said the traders at Parkhill Plaza needed to think of other businesses in the area.
“If the same businesses set up near them, it would affect their business too,” he said.
“And this post office will affect my family business.”
Ms Frazer said that only 3 per cent of the people who responded to her petition had the postcode of Narre Warren North.
“I believe the affect it will have on Marco’s post office will be minimal,” she said.
An Australia Post spokeswoman said they hoped to provide a decision on the post office at Parkhill Plaza before the end of the year.